AB 2588: Manufactured housing.

Existing law, the Manufactured Housing Act of 1980, requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to enforce various laws pertaining to the structural, fire safety, plumbing, heat-producing, or electrical systems and installations or equipment of a manufactured home, mobilehome, special purpose commercial coach, or commercial coach. Under existing law, a knowing violation of the act is punishable as a misdemeanor offense, as specified. The act, on or after January 1, 2009, requires all used manufactured homes, used mobilehomes, and used multifamily manufactured homes that are sold to have a smoke alarm installed in each room designed for sleeping that is operable on the date or transfer of title.

This bill would require all used manufactured homes, used mobilehomes, and used multifamily manufactured homes that are sold or rented to have a smoke alarm that has been approved and listed by the Office of the State Fire Marshal on or after January 1, 2014. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law, the Mobilehome Parks Act, requires an owner or operator of an existing mobilehome park to adopt an emergency preparedness plan on or before September 1, 2010. The act requires the owner or operator, for an existing park, and for parks constructed after September 10, 2010, to post notice of the plan in the park clubhouse and another conspicuous area, as specified, and, on or before September 10, 2010, to provide information relating to accessing the plan and individual emergency preparedness information. Existing law requires an enforcement agency to determine park compliance with these provisions if certain conditions have been met. Existing law deems a violation of these provisions to constitute an unreasonable risk to life, health, or safety and requires correction by park management within 60 days of notice of the violation. Under existing law, a willful violation of the act is a misdemeanor, as specified.

This bill would require every park owner or operator to annually, on or before January 1, post notice of the emergency preparedness plan in the park clubhouse or in another publicly accessible area, as specified, and, on or before September 10, 2019, and annually thereafter, to provide notice of how to access the plan and information on individual emergency preparedness and how to obtain the plan in a language other than English. The bill would also require the owner or operator to make the emergency preparedness plan available in English, the Medi-Cal threshold languages, as defined by specified law, and, upon written request by a resident, the language spoken by that resident. The bill would require the department to provide translation services to the park operator or owner to fulfill these requirements. By changing the definition of a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.